When you’re trying to hire a nanny, a babysitter, or housekeeper, or elder care provider, where do you turn? For most families, the days of putting a notice in the newspapers are long gone, and many go online to find help. The abundance of options available on the Internet is both a blessing and a curse, though, and many families are left wondering how to separate qualified providers from the rest. The care economy is a uniquely delicate industry involving providers with vastly different training and qualifications, but all largely employed by individual households.

The three elements of the care industry families often find most frustrating are: finding providers, safety, and becoming employers. Luckily, new online services are making it easier than ever for families to tackle these issues.
The Search
Anyone who has ever tried to source a nanny from general-purpose online classifieds knows that it’s a nightmare; these sites just aren’t designed to accommodate the specific needs of those looking to hire care providers. Using a purpose-built directory allows you to narrow down your search based on very specific criteria. For example, a service like Canadian Nanny allows you to narrow your search by criteria such as age group (infant, newborn, early school, primary school), availability (part time, full time, after school), duration, language, pay, residency, ability to care for special needs, qualifications (training like CPR and First Aid), and whether or not providers can provide transportation.
Safety and Assurance
New online services that connect families with providers offer a layer of safety and assurance that other mechanisms, like job boards and classifieds, simply don’t provide. One service, Canadian Nanny, has introduced a safe telephone service that allows families to contact potential hires by phone or by instant message without exposing their identity. In addition to this layer of protection, they also provide live, human customer support, so there’s always someone who can answer your questions and assist you when you’re not sure how to proceed.
Becoming an Employer
One of the hardest parts of hiring a care provider is becoming an employer and following the rules and regulations that come with such a role. In addition to its search services, CanadianNanny.ca has also launched a service called HeartPayroll, a solution to families’ payroll and tax needs. Services like these handle issuing pay stubs and annual T4s and help families comply with legislation regarding vacation pay and statutory holidays, as well as other employment laws. They also manage registry with the CRA and the Workplace Safety Insurance Board, an absolutely necessary part of employing full-time as you can face heavy fines for ignoring employment regulations and legislation.
The next time you need to find a new nanny, save yourself the headaches, concerns, and worries and get straight to building a trusting and productive relationship. With new payroll solutions, you don’t have to add hours of stress to make sure you’re in compliance with labour laws. It’s time to take advantage of new solutions that help connect you with the people you need.
Photo credit: RTD Photography via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
Thanks for the great information!
It is one of the hardest and most important decisions — finding a care provider! Thanks for the tips 🙂
This is great! Especially for those times I am travelling with the kiddos!
Great information. It’s so important to know who you’re hiring. I had a couple crazy babysitters when I was a child.
Yes, so true! Thank you for sharing!